Baby Visa and HK ID

My baby was just born in Hong Kong and i want to travel home to Australia. I know that I need to get a citizenship certificate and passport for my baby but what about a visa and a HK ID Card? If I do need these things any tips on how and where. Also, how do I book an airline ticket for a baby - the Cathay website says to ring customer service but they were no help at all. Many thanks

You do need to add your baby onto your visa (they get a copy into their passport) but need your babys passport and birth certificate first so try to get that all sorted out. Once they have their passport it is straight forward, not sure which floor you go to in immigration tower (baby brain was in full gear last year when we did it) but maybe 7th. You or your hubby will need all the standard documents, as if you were renewing your visa, it is a hassle but necessary.


As far as booking your airline ticket, when you buy yours just tell them you want to book an infant ticket too, it seems to have to be done when you book yours. I flew back home last summer and just booked her ticket with mine and it was no trouble at all. Do ask for a bassinet when you book though! good luck and congratulations!

Once you've got your baby's passport, you can apply for them to have a visa as described above. But I don't think it's ESSENTIAL that you do it before travel. We went to Macau and back before our baby had a visa. If your baby has an Australian passport, he/she will get a tourist visa on arrival back in HK, which means a limitation of stay until you get the visa or travel out of HK again. So no need to delay your trip because the visa's not ready. Best call Immigration to confirm this, or email their website. It wouldn't hurt to carry a copy of the birth certificate when you travel.

I think there are 2 issues mixed up here so I will discuss each separately. It is clear/ assuming that catnip is Australian.


1) HK residency for the baby


If not already, you need to get the birth certificate - not from immigration but from one of the Births, Deaths, Marriages Registries - there is one next to Pacific Place at Admiralty. Check http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/bdmreg.htm

This is a 2 hour process.


Anyone born in HK has right of permanent residency - in fact the bottom of the HK birth certificate esblishes the baby's residency status - more rights than the parents! I am not sure about the need to have own ID card - I think it is correct not to need one under 11. I also do not think you need to add the baby to your HK Visa. Best to check more thoroughly at the HK Immigration site above.


2) Travel to Oz and Visa

Once you have the birth certificate, you need to apply for the baby's Australian Citizenship (right by descent) at the Oz Consulate at Wan Chai (http://www.australia.org.hk/). One appointment, 10 days to get Australian Citizenship Certificate.


Only when you have Australian citizenship can you apply for a passport for a baby, which there must be one (ie cannot add baby to your passport). Again, one appointment and another 10 days at the consulate.


With an Oz passport for the baby, a visa for Oz is of course not required. As for returning to HK - I am not sure what happens - I don't think anything - baby enters with Oz passport with parent on Visa, as per any other baby born in HK or not. We have gone back and forth with baby a few times, and the guy at airport immigration doesn't stamp a 90-day stay thing on baby passport. It seems to be all implicit... not sure what the process Canadian Mel described, but we never did such a thing.



Lastly Cathay Pacific (or Qantas - but CX better) - ask for the 10% baby fare (for 2 year-old and under). You get baby meal but not a seat, but usually there are spares if the plane is not full of course. You may also want to enroll the baby onto a freq flyer programme - though you need to be 2 or older for some.

Just want to clarify one point. I agree with Canadian Mel.


If you are in Hong Kong on an employment visa your child will get the same status as you. My child was born in HK, whilst I was still on an employment visa, and we had to apply for a stamp in his passport through immigration. This gave him the right to stay for as long as my working visa. Apply to immigration using birth certificate and passport.


I have subsequently got permanant residence and have now applied for his permanant residence too (using the same process as mine). Once approved he has the right to PR until he is 21yr.

Re the issue of HK residency for the baby, I agree with above poster. We are in a similar situation. Baby was born in HK, hubby is on an employment visa. Even though my son was born in HK, his HK birth certificate states that his status as a permanent resident is 'not established'. Hence, he has a dependant's visa in his passport permitting him to remain in HK for as long as my husband's work visa.


As 'nonothing' suggested, when booking your tickets to Oz, you should request the bulkhead seats with a bassinet. Rather than rely on the airline babyfood, I think it is preferable to take your own babyfood, and it is also worthwhile to take the baby's own rug & toy(familiar scent, helps them sleep easier).

Hmm, pokulammum is correct - see http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/faq.htm#4

My daughter (without Chinese blood) has got HK permanent residency established, with both parents HK residents, although I believe one will do.


Although the visa is not essential, I think it can sometimes avoid delays at Immigration when you get back. On the Macau trip I mentioned above, we were detained for about 20mins upon re-entry. They had to check with supervisor whether photocopy of birth certificate was acceptable - they wanted the original. There was no question of not letting the baby into HK; the question was what kind of stamp she would have in her passport.